Hunter Biden pleads not guilty after plea deal on tax and gun charges falls apart
President Joe Biden’s son unexpectedly pleaded not guilty to federal charges after his plea deal in the tax and gun case fell apart.
Hunter Biden in his first court appearance on Wednesday morning was expected to plead guilty to two misdemeanor counts of willful failure to pay federal income tax, as part of a plea agreement to avoid jail time for a felony gun charge.
But US District Judge Maryellen Noreika, who was appointed by ex-President Donald Trump, expressed ‘concerns’ around the parties connecting the tax plea deal to the felony gun charge.
The judge demanded that both sides to file additional briefs detailing the legal structure of the plea deal.
The parties will reconvene at a later date, which could be in four to six weeks.
Hunter’s not guilty plea will reverse if both sides redo the plea deal and it is approved by the judge.
Initially, Hunter said ‘yes, your honor’ when Noreika asked if he would plead guilty to two tax misdemeanors.
Noreika then asked if Hunter could face more serious charges, to which Hunter’s lawyer and prosecutors said no. Noreika asked if an investigation was ongoing, and US Attorney David Weiss said it was and he could not elaborate.
The judge then asked if Hunter could be charged for not registering as a foreign agent, and if the plea deal could interfere with protection for the hypothetical charge. Hunter’s lawyer said they believed the deal would block him from being charged, but the prosecution did not agree.
‘Then we’ll rip it up,’ Hunter’s lawyer Christopher Clark said of the plea deal.
Asked about the surprise development, White House press secretary said: ‘Hunter Biden is a private citizen. And this was a personal matter.’
‘As we have said, the president, the first lady, they love their son, and they support him as he continues to rebuild his life,’ she said.
‘This case was handled independently, as all of you know, by the Justice Department under the leadership of a prosecutor appointed by the former President, President Trump.’
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